A communist state is a state that is usually administered and governed by a single party representing the proletariat, guided by Marxist-Leninist philosophy, with the aim of achieving communism. There have been several instances of Communist states with functioning political participation processes involving several other non-Party organisations, such as trade unions, factory committees, and direct democratic participation. The term "Communist state" is used by Western historians, political scientists and media to refer to these countries. However, contrary to Western usage, these states do not describe themselves as "communist" nor do they claim to have achieved communism; they refer to themselves as Socialist states or Workers' states that are in the process of constructing socialism.

A communist state is a state that is usually administered and governed by a single party representing the proletariat, guided by Marxist-Leninist philosophy, with the aim of achieving communism. There have been several instances of Communist states with functioning political participation processes involving several other non-Party organisations, such as trade unions, factory committees, and direct democratic participation. The term "Communist state" is used by Western historians, political scientists and media to refer to these countries. However, contrary to Western usage, these states do not describe themselves as "communist" nor do they claim to have achieved communism; they refer to themselves as Socialist states or Workers' states that are in the process of constructing socialism. Communist states can be administered by a single, centralised party apparatus, although countries such as the DPRK have several parties. These parties usually are Marxism–Leninist or some variation thereof (including Maoism in China and Juche in the DPRK), with the official aim of achieving socialism and progressing toward communism. These states are usually termed by Marxists as dictatorships of the proletariat, or dictatorships of the working class, whereby the working class is the ruling class of the country, in contrast to capitalism, whereby the bourgeoisie is the ruling class. Communist states such as the USSR and the PRC were criticized by Western authors and organisations on the basis of a lack of multi-party Western democracy, in addition to several other areas where socialist society and Western societies differed. This state structure was derived in part from the Leninist concept of democratic centralism, although the USSR permitted nomination of candidates to soviets by trade unions, religious organisations, factory committees, as well as the Communist Party itself after the several democratic amendments made to the 1936 Soviet Constitution. For instance, criticisms were commonly levied upon the structure of socialised ownership in Communist countries, contrasting private ownership of the means of production to common ownership through co-operatives and state administration. Communist states have also been criticised for the influence and outreach of their respective ruling parties on society, in addition to lack of recognition for some Western legal rights and liberties such as the right to ownership of private property, and the restriction of the right to free speech. Soviet advocates and socialists responded to these criticisms by highlighting the ideological differences in the concept of "freedom". McFarland and Ageyev noted that "Marxist-Leninist norms disparaged laissez-faire individualism (as when housing is determined by one's ability to pay), also [condemning] wide variations in personal wealth as the West has not. Instead, Soviet ideals emphasized equality—free education and medical care, little disparity in housing or salaries, and so forth." When asked to comment on the claim that former citizens of Communist states enjoy increased freedoms, Heinz Kessler, former East German defense minister replied that “Millions of people in Eastern Europe are now free from employment, free from safe streets, free from health care, free from social security.” The early economic development policies of Communist states have been criticised for focusing primarily on the development of heavy industry. (en)

A communist state is a state that is usually administered and governed by a single party representing the proletariat, guided by Marxist-Leninist philosophy, with the aim of achieving communism. There have been several instances of Communist states with functioning political participation processes involving several other non-Party organisations, such as trade unions, factory committees, and direct democratic participation. The term "Communist state" is used by Western historians, political scientists and media to refer to these countries. However, contrary to Western usage, these states do not describe themselves as "communist" nor do they claim to have achieved communism; they refer to themselves as Socialist states or Workers' states that are in the process of constructing socialism. (en)